Of all creatures on earth, horses and humans have the most similar hearing ranges. The frequency range of a horse’s hearing is 55Hz to 33,500Hz, compared to the human hearing range of 20Hz to 20,000Hz. Horses are affected by sounds in both positive and negative ways. High agitation may result from being unable to leave the pasture during a violent rainstorm. Muscles can stiffen or become stressed out by an abrupt jarring sound or harsh frequency. It might be just as crucial to give your horse the greatest veterinary care and nourishment as it is to provide the optimum acoustic environment.
Do Horses enjoy Musical Entertainment?
Pitch, tone, frequency, and volume all play a role in music. Horses and other animals communicate via these aspects of sound, which also aid animals in assessing their surroundings in order to survive.
Short melodies and pounding rhythms are the types of music that horses respond to the most. If you’re seeking music that meets these requirements, classical or country music played softly will have a beneficial effect and help horses to relax while they are sleeping, eating, or getting groomed in the barn. The most crucial factors in music are the frequency and volume, and not so much the genre. Music is just as calming to animals as it is to us. So part of caring for your horse should involve learning what noises his ears are particularly sensitive to and how to calm any worry using music.
Should Music be played for your Horse?
The results of studies show that with the correct music, it can have a relaxing impact on the horse. The constant playing of music will harm your horse, therefore refrain from doing so. While horses occasionally require some quiet time, music can be stimulating. In general, you ought to leave the music on for a couple of hours per day. Horses won’t get tired of the same music. Pet Tunes, which is essentially a speaker system created especially for animals, is another useful small device. YouTube and other free platforms provide lots of music options for horses.
You may lessen the stress in horses by using music’s calming effects. For instance, your horse will cope better with potentially stressful situations if it hears its favorite music while visiting the farrier or the veterinarian. If you anticipate a rainstorm, you may leave music playing in the barn all night.
Storms, fireworks, and other loud, abrupt noises can all be frightening to horses. A little background music will be a welcome distraction and keep its mind occupied.
Horses love listening to music played on the cello, violin, and Native American flute, but not on the guitar. “Playing music helps balance equine behavior because it helps cover outside sounds and vibrations, such as tractor engines, high-pitched tools, thunder, and other powerful sounds,” explains Janet Marlow, a researcher, and musician renowned for researching how animals respond to music.
Equine Performance and Music
A Polish study using three-year-old Arabian racehorses discovered that music had a positive impact on every activity. Unbelievably, horses who listened to music outperformed their non-listening counterparts in races.
Music is a fantastic way to keep horses relaxed and can even improve performance. In addition to aiding in relaxation, it can also be used to lessen tension in unfamiliar situations, make dental, veterinary, and farrier appointments less uncomfortable, conceal bothersome noises, and even prevent stress-related illnesses. While listening to music might improve performance, one must be careful to choose the proper genre.
